The Sentimental Sparkle Skirt

Lately if I get any sewing done

it has to be quick and dirty.

No measure twice, cut once over in these parts.

We've had an event over here that needed a sparkle skirt.

Here in bedlum big things have been happening.

Monuments have been built.

(mostly out of playdough)

Bench marks have been notched.

(the Dog took the blame)

And Pu has lost her first tooth.

I'm feeling very sentimental about the whole thing really.

I feel like being a parent is all about movement and change.

The velocity of it all makes me spin.

Mostly in sparkly skirts.

Already I'm aware how fast the blur is going.

And some days I need a reminder of the sparkle in the moment

because,

soon that moment is gone and another one

is racing towards us.

I know life will be full of moments of love, action, achievement

and challenge. 

Chaos and rapture.

Divinity and Disco.

At least I hope so.

This marker.

This first lost tooth.

 It's the first definitive sign of growing up.

There will be more.

Some fancier. Some involving diploma's or parties.

But this one little baby tooth.

It has chomped a giant bite out of my heart.

Giveaway Day is Coming this Monday

UPDATE: The Giveaway is now closed.
Thanks for playing!

 Congrats to Lynne who's mustache heckle won the day!


Every once in a while

Sew Mama Sew hosts a giveaway.

My offering this round is one of two things.

Choice #1: A jersey spiral scarf from the

Anne Kata design.

It works as a hair band or belt, is soft and a lovely accessory to

jazz up an outfit.

Pick plum, grey or robin's egg blue.

It works on kids

Or kids at heart.

Or, pick Choice #2.

A re purposed burlap and canvas fabric basket.

It's reversible.

Use it as a wee hand bag or to collect those things that need collecting.

Come back to visit on Monday Dec 12th and leave a comment

telling me

the best thing you've ever heard a kid say.

I'll pick the one I like the best :)

I'll ship internationally.

Then go check out all the other great giveaways via

 Sew, Mama, Sew

If you like what you see
new followers are always welcome.

Our Lynne said the following
as she suffered this indignity from a shorty:

"My son asked me the other night while I was giving him a bath whether he would have a mustache like me some day.

Niiiiiiiiiiiice. :)
Beautiful scarves... Keeping my fingers crossed."

A Quicky I Phone Case

Not much intrigue in that title.

You'll never guess what I made.

Handy, and a wee bit dandy.

Baby Acid Trip

We have this awesome IKEA toy.

It hangs over the baby and she/he can stare up at toys

and eventually begin to reach for them.

Considering there is a ring, they might even be

able to swing themselves up and work on a dismount with a flourish.

I guess it all depends on how long they lie there.

Well, my kid quickly got tired of staring at the same old shapes...

...and patterns.

So I made some new ones.

Little Yu is most excellent.

Meanwhile, she doesn't like to be anywhere,

except on my shoulder.

This makes showering tricky.

However, she likes these ever changing visuals.

I can swap them up when she gets bored.

These ones are multi-layered and reversible.

They swing, they dangle and they allow

 me a few more minutes of shower.

Oh sweet hot water how my love endures.

In the armpit of chaos

That is where I dwell these days.

Lately I wear this there.

This photo was taken while bouncing a baby

(see carrier strap).

This is what I do.

I am a perpetual motion machine.

Today this chunky cowl serves to keep out the winter chill.

On other days it serves as a textured neck brace.

Surely with three kids under 4.5 I should have expected

to be whipping my head to-and-fro.

Lately more so.



Silent Auction Frocks

We are in a flurry trying to gather auction items

to raise money for our little preschool.

I have tossed out some paintings but I also

(madly)

committed to making 3 dresses to auction off

Dress #1

(front)

(back)

This is a size too big for Pu.

Dress #2

Silver velvet with a corduroy sash.

Again, too big for Pu, but you get the idea...

Dress #3

And then, just because I couldn't

let all the velvet leave the house.

One for Nu.

Getting them both to stand still for a shot???

Haaaaaaa!!!

Check out the camo- socks and the bed head

on the short one.

She is one second away from wrestling the dog,

again.

A Cheater Quilt

I'm a little in love with purple these days.

I have always been in love with velvet.

 The sweetie and I have moved into another room for post kid-bedtime

movie watching.

And, we have been battling over the lone blanket.

Velvet to the rescue.

These photos don't really tell the tale.

What with grey skies and a strap on baby-

my photography skills have surrendered to the ether.

One side is purple velvet and a few squares quilted,

the reverse side is blue velvet.

Who dares to speak against the velvet???!!

Sweet Purple Hooker

I lost my favorite scarf.

It plagues me so.

In the meantime, I am carrying my wee babe

in a bizarre assortment of contraptions.

Each one far more elaborate than the last.

Each one requiring some sort of new-fangled way to get dressed.

This sweet aubergine scarf/shawl

has got me covered.

No matter what I've got on underneath.

It also keeps my little one under wraps.

Oh, and it matches my new hair :)

Night Night, Sleep Tight

I totally confess to being unwell.

Predominantly in the head.

In particular, an unbridled, and unchecked love for

stuffed animals.

It started when I was young and impressionable.

I remember laboriously tucking each one in at night.

Eventually, telling each stuffed animal good night became so taxing,

that I began a blanket good night policy.

No favorites allowed.

Democracy. Justice & equality for all!

Exhausting-the politics of stuffed animals!!!

I also remember barely being able to move in my bed:

Fraught that someone stuffed would get squished or fall out before dawn.

Only to wake in the morning with half the legions

cast upon the shag below.

Solution:

The sleep sack for stuffed folk.

My 4.5 year old is very into tucking.

Also, a little OCD about everything in its place.

A little like her mom :)



Mug Rug

Now I get it.

I've been a little confused by the showcasing of

'mug rugs" in the crafting blogland.

Is it a coaster? Is it a rug?

What's the point?

Then, in the making of something big

 I found myself with some little

off cuts.

I'm also super out of practice with my

quilting moves,

(which incidentally were not very good to begin with)

So, thaaaats the point.
Practice quilting and stash busting on something little.

The back side.

Good material, no quilting.

You can't tell by these snaps,

but the colours are deep and gorgeous purple.

With some drunken crazy quilting.

And thus,

the mug rug.